Trail Mix: February 2015

The Trail Mix track list reads like an international flight directory. In months past, the mix has been lucky enough to feature the occasional track from an artist beyond our borders.

This month, we have multiple artists from across the sea included – check out Doe, Duke Garwood, and Nathaniel Rateliff, all from England, and Hey Rosetta!, from Newfoundland. These great tunes serve notice that great things in roots music are happening around the world.

This month, I am happy to feature a track from Jeff Austin, long time front man for Yonder Mountain String Band. I have been a long time fan of YMSB, ever since a good buddy, my wife, and I made a snowy trip to the State Theater in Falls Church, Virginia, and caught a blistering set of jamgrass in 2003. Austin left the band last year, but he didn’t rest on his laurels for long. Having assembled a band of top notch pickers – Danny Barnes on banjo, Eric Thorin on bass, and Ross Martin on guitar – Austin hit the studio to record The Simple Truth. Check out “Fiddling Around,” from Jeff’s debut solo release, on this month’s mix.

Other great tracks featured this month include offerings from J.D. McPherson, The Gibson Brothers, Blackberry Smoke, Murder By Death, Elana James, Screen Door Porch, and Corey Dargel. Also, make sure to check out the brand new tune from 6 String Drag, a seminal alt-country band of the 1990s, who are releasing their first record in nearly two decades.

Of course, with 24 tracks, we are just scratching the surface here. Dig in to this music and enjoy. Make sure to tell a friend or neighbor about a great artist you discovered here. And stay tuned to the Trail Mix blog. This month, we have features on The Willow Tree in Johnson City, interviews with Two Gallants, Taarka, and Melvin Dillon, of Soul Step Records.

And, as always, seek out a record or two from these great artists. Thank them for supporting Trail Mix by supporting them buying their music.